Trio of newcomers spice up Top Midlantic-bred Poll

Three horses that weren’t on anyone’s radar screen earlier this year crashed the latest Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred/The Racing Biz Top Midlantic-bred Poll that was released September 14.

In the first poll in which three-year-olds and older horses were considered together, the Pennsylvania-bred four-year-old filly Unique Bella, who’s now retired, held down the top spot on the strength of her two Grade 1 wins this season.

But it was the newcomers who made the biggest splash.

Spring Quality, a six-year-old Quality Road gelding, now is in second in the poll. Bred in Pennsylvania by George Strawbridge, Jr. and owned by his Augustin Stable, Spring Quality caught voters’ eyes with a pair of big efforts in Grade 1 company. He scored an 18-1 upset to win the G1 Manhattan Stakes in June and validated that result with a solid third-place finish in the G1 Sword Dancer at Saratoga August 25. He is trained by Graham Motion.

The five-year-old West Virginia-bred mare Ruby Notion went nearly three years between stakes wins — from the Selima Stakes in September 2015 until this July — but two consecutive stakes scores have her sixth in the current poll. Ruby Notion won the Caress Stakes at Saratoga in July and followed that up with a hard-fought victory in the Grade 3 Kentucky Downs Ladies Sprint September 8. Ruby Notion, a daughter of Great Notion, is trained by Darrin Miller for owner-breeder Silverton Hill LLC.

And veteran campaigner Long On Value checks in in seventh place. The Virginia-bred son of Value Plus got a late start to the season — he didn’t race this year until June 2 — but he’s now two-for-two, including a win June 30 in the Grade 1 Highlander Stakes at Woodbine. His two wins this year have pushed him to over $1.1 million in career earnings. He is trained by Brad Cox for a partnership including Madaket Stables LLC, Ten Strike Racing, and Steve Laymon. Long On Value was bred by Snow Lantern Thoroughbreds.

Of the seven horses in the poll, three were bred in Pennsylvania, and two were bred in Virginia. Maryland and West Virginia were represented by one runner each. Five were males and two were females.

The monthly Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred is the only publication devoted to Thoroughbred breeding and racing in the Mid-Atlantic region. The Racing Biz, an online publication, is the independent voice for mid-Atlantic racing and breeding.

The poll is restricted to horses that have run in 2018 and were bred in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, New Jersey, Delaware, and the Carolinas.